Shares, dollar rise on strong US trade data

Global equity markets rose and the dollar strengthened today on encouraging jobs data from Germany and news of the lowest US trade deficit in four years, the latest evidence of a more robust American economy.

The US Commerce Department said the trade gap fell 12.9 percent to $34.3 billion in November, the smallest deficit since October 2009. October's trade shortfall was revised down to $39.3 billion from a previously reported $40.6 billion.

US-listed equity mutual funds and exchange-traded funds took in a record $352 billion in 2013, topping a previous record $324 billion in 2000, according to TrimTabs Investment Research.

MSCI's all-country world stock index rose 0.29 percent, while the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares gained 0.8 percent to 1,319.74, its highest closing level since mid-2008.

Spain's IBEX index surged 2.9 percent on volume that was more than double an average session.

The benchmark S&P 500 was on track for the first gain of the new year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 93.48 points, or 0.57 percent, at 16,518.58.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 8.17 points, or 0.45 percent, at 1,834.94.

The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 26.63 points, or 0.65 percent, at 4,140.31.

All 10 S&P sectors rose on the day, led by healthcare , after Deutsche Bank upgraded UnitedHealth Group Inc to "buy."

Shares of UnitedHealth, a Dow component, jumped 3.8 percent to $77.08, while Tenet Healthcare climbed 3.87 percent to $45.66, one of the S&P's biggest percentage gainers.

Earlier, Asian shares fell for a fourth day, led by a 0.6 percent drop on Tokyo's Nikkei index.

The dollar gained, buoyed by the US trade data. Stronger growth could prompt the Federal Reserve to speed up the tapering of its monthly bond purchases.

The dollar traded 0.27 percent higher at 104.49 yen, but remained below a five-year peak of 105.44 yen set last week. The euro was last down 0.09 percent at $1.3615.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was up 0.22 percent at 80.830 .

Brent oil rose above $107 a barrel after five straight declines, supported by doubts about a recovery in Libyan output, fighting in Iraq and as cold weather across the central United States threatened production.

Brent crude was up 60 cents to $107.33, after settling lower in the previous five sessions, partly on expectations of rising Libyan exports. US crude was 28 cents higher at $93.71.

US government bond prices rose, with the 10-year US Treasury note up 6/32 in price to yield 2.9372 percent.

German Bund futures settled up 22 ticks at 139.76 euros.

Bumper demand for Ireland's debt sale pushed its borrowing costs to an eight-year low and the Spanish government's costs to the lowest since 2009.

Demand for Irish 10-year debt was nearly four times the 3.75 billion euro issue, boosting sentiment across the euro zone periphery and pushing down regional bond yields. The sale could make it easier for Portugal to exit its bailout.

Irish 10-year bond yields fell to 3.27 percent, 10-year Greek yields fell to their lowest since June 2010 at 7.83 percent and Portuguese yields dropped to 5.42 percent - their lowest since last May.

Ten-year Spanish yields fell to their lowest since December 2009 at 3.798 percent and equivalent Italian yields were at 3.88 percent.